Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 297(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Jack’s phone was on the table between the two of us, and it kept dinging every few seconds.
“I need to turn off notifications from that group text,” Jack mumbled as he stayed fixed on his appointment book.
“It’s lighting up like a damn slot machine,” I said, glancing over at the phone.
“What are they on about?” he asked.
I unlocked his phone and went to the Red’s Tavern group text thread, reading the texts out loud.
>>Sam: Legit, last night was one of the most fun nights we’ve had in a while at the tavern.
>>Mitch: I even saw Jack out there on the dance floor again.
>>Perry: And he looked great.
>>Red: Sam, did you put in that order for ten cases of Ruby Mountain IPA last night?
>>Sam: This is our fun and saucy group text, boss. Please keep business talk to our personal texts, LOL. But also, yes, I put in the order. Please don’t fire me.
>>Perry: Jack, you around? Awake yet?
>>Sam: Jack looked cozy with his bestie last night, that’s for sure. Tristan is hot as fuck, by the way.
>>Perry: Too bad he’s straight.
>>Sam: Didn’t look so straight when he went home with lucky Jack, here.
“Okay, you don’t have to read any more,” Jack said, his cheeks going a little red as he grabbed his phone and slid it across the table away from me. “Jesus. I’m sorry. These guys are out of their minds.”
I laughed around my bite of doughnut. “Are you kidding? This shit’s hilarious.”
“Well, maybe they should text you instead of me, then.”
“I’d be honored.”
We sipped our coffee in silence for a while, the sound of the birds filtering in through the cracked window in the dining room. Slowly the fog of my hangover lifted, aided by sugar and coffee.
I loved quiet mornings like this with Jack. I’d spent even more mornings like this with him over the past couple of years—first, when his Dad’s health started to get bad and we’d come over here to take care of him a lot more. Then a year ago when his world was shattered after his Dad’s death, and he inherited this house, I was here with him anytime he needed me, rain or shine, morning or night.
And there were a lot of times he needed me, even if he hadn’t always admitted it. I’d held my arm around his shoulders more than once, right here at this table, as he cried telling me old stories about his dad from childhood. Jack’s mom had died during childbirth, so it had always just been him and his dad in this house growing up. And Chuck Damien had been a fucking great father to Jack. Gentle and supportive, and completely proud when Jack had come out as gay.
It made sense that Jack was so attached to this old house. And it made sense why he hadn’t been able to start the renovations over the past year—even the ones his dad had wanted.
I watched him sipping his coffee, steam rising from the mug, as he looked over his appointment book. He was one of the strongest men I’d ever known, and it killed me that I was going to be moving away from him.
His gaze flickered up to me, noticing me watching him. “Did I overhear you telling Shawn you’re visiting Colorado again in a couple of weeks?”
“Yes,” I said, clearing my throat. “I was going to talk to you about that today. I’ll only be gone for a week.”
“I’ll miss you, but we’ll be fine on the projects. Travis is a good apprentice, and he’ll have to take over most of your work when you move, anyway. It’s an opportunity for him to learn.”
I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “I know work will be fine. But I’m going to miss the hell out of you.”
“It’ll only be a week.”
“But every day with you feels precious, now,” I said, biting the inside of my cheek.
He finally put his pen down, looking up to make eye contact with me. “I know. It feels like that for me, too,” he said softly.
“Wait a minute,” I said. “I have an idea.”
“Is the idea to stay in Kansas? Because I love that idea,” he said, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a smile as he watched me.
“Not quite,” I said. “You should come with me. On my week-long trip.”
“I’ve got a lot of work—”
“You’ve always got a lot of work,” I said. “And when was the last time you took a vacation?”
“We go camping all of the time.”
“On your days off, for one day at a time,” I protested. “When’s the last time you took a real vacation?”
He sucked his lower lip into his mouth. “I have no clue.”
“Because you never take time off,” I said. “Come to Colorado with me. I want you to meet everyone. See my family. And spend time with me, in the place that’s going to be my home. Blue, it would mean the world to me.”